Blue city: Flickr photo of the day

The Moroccan city of Chefchaoen, located in the Rif Mountains, a short distance inland from Tangier, was founded in 1471. In 1496, as Spain reclaimed the Iberian Peninsula, Muslims and Jews were expelled and many found refuge across the Strait of Gibraltar, in the young city of Chefchaoen.

Jews, adhering to biblical instructions, dyed one thread in their prayer shawls blue. Apparently, the general population liked the periwinkle color so much they painted the whole town blue. Today, merchants still sell blue pigment, so residents can freshen up their azure.

Photographer Roy Cheung of Hong Kong photographed this resident with her blue hijab, chador and, orange socks.